Successful people mean business. Do you wake up ready to go, positive and confident that you have the right work life balance, and are feeling successful? Did you know these are attributes of highly effective people? In this blog we look at the key habits of successful people and what employers can do to support these habits.
From the minute successful people wake up until they climb into bed, they operate for efficiency. And because of that, they excel in areas of their lives that are important to them. In order to do this they shape a life and a routine that optimises their work life and which also makes them extremely happy. Balance is everything when it comes to working effectively. The below are key attributes of what makes successful people tick and daily habits that might support you in increasing your own success.
1. Always wake up early.
Amongst all daily habit lists this will always be up there as a priority. Why? Having a good early morning routine always helps set up the framework for the rest of your day.
It might be hard to drag yourself out of bed earlier especially when you already have an early start time, but getting a jump start on your day can up your productivity levels all day long. You’ll be hard pressed to find a CEO who gets up after seven in the morning.
Your first instinct when you crawl out of bed in the morning might be to grab for the coffee. Caffeine might seem like the ultimate energy boost, but drinking water with lemon has endless benefits that coffee simply doesn’t. Hot lemon helps your liver detox and stimulates weight loss. Other perks for swapping your latte for lemon include reduced inflammation, improvement to your immune system and even a jolt of energy.
2. Read
Smart people read and they read a lot. If you want to up your intelligence levels and boost all aspects of your life, whether it be vocabulary, general knowledge or even creativity, picking up a paperback is the simplest most effective way to stimulate your brain. Take a little time each day before bed or during your commute and decompress with a good book that will both help you relax and learn.
3. They seek advice and often
It’s easy as adults to think that we have all the answers. One of the best things that you can do for your career is reach out to people you admire and ask their advice. Of course you don’t need to follow every piece of guidance you’re given but to even hear more worldly perspectives can change your outlook.
4. They take their health seriously
When asked for his best productivity tip, Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group) simply responded “I work out”. He estimates that keeping fit adds about four hours to his daily productivity. Working out regularly and maintaining a healthy diet are not only great for your physical health with benefits like weight loss and disease and illness prevention and management. They also promote better sleep and are proven to boost energy levels which will work wonders for your career.
5. They focus on what matters
People who are highly effective and productive have established clear goals and vision for what they want to achieve long term. They focus on what matters and what makes a difference. You need to do that and keep the distractions – everything that doesn’t matter – to a minimum.
6. Focus on you
With a packed schedule and an 'always on the go attitude' you might forget the most important factor in finding success is YOU. You can’t do your best work or be your most efficient if you are not happy and well cared for. Just as you would schedule in a work meeting or a fitness class, put aside an hour each day to just relax and focus on you. Take a walk, read a book. Whatever you need to make sure you have a good Work-Life balance.
These six common habits are just a guide and are not a recipe to guarantee to make you more successful.
What can employers do to support these positive habits?
- The best way to retain an high achieving workforce is to serve the needs of your employees so that they can best serve your organisation.
- Actively encourage a Work-Life balance by encouraging people not to have lunch at their desks, ensuring they take their full lunch and take regular breaks throughout the day.
- Employers can also support employees in their fitness by supporting “Cycle to work” schemes and subsidising gym membership.
- Flexible hours are the perfect complement to working remotely. In addition to pursuing what they want to pursue, this gives employees the option to take care of their needs – such as doctors/ dental appointments.
- Employers should not overlook personal development objectives and should look to include them into an individual's business objective/goal setting. This ensures any learning/development requirements are not overlooked and means employees can access the skills to develop themselves. It also demonstrates to the employee that they are valued and that their employer is willing to support their development.
